Gig elevator



NOV. 21, 1933. H E NBECK GIG ELEVATOR Filed July 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l J'lorayelfoom ATTORNEYS NOV. 21, 1933. H, NBECK 1,936,477

GIG ELEVATOR Filed July 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNETD STATES PATENT FFECE GIG ELEVATOR Application July 10, 1929. Serial No. 377,238

10 Claims.

This invention relates to gig elevators and aims to provide an automatic reversing gig elevator primarily adapted for handling ice cakes.

Referring to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a typical automatic reversing gig elevator installation;

2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the bottom of the gig in plan;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, with parts in section, of the lower part of the gig; i

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2; an

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram showing the way in which the parts are electrically connected.

As is well known, gig elevating machines are very desirable in ice plants to facilitate the storage of ice. Manufactured ice usually is made in cakes weighing 300 to 400 pounds apiece and is necessarily manufactured on a 24 hour basis, but may be distributed to the consumer usually during a portion of the daylight hours. Further more, on certain days the demand for ice greatly increases, whereas on other days it diminishes, owing to temperature variations. A large storage room makes it possibleto take care of a very heavy and unexpected demand and also permits operation of the plant economically, even when cool days alternate with hot days.

Because of the enormous labor of piling ice in tiers in a storage'room, gig elevators have been used for some time. For the most part, such mechanisms are operator-controlled, and in order to increase thecapacity of elevators by eliminating the lost timeinherent with manual control, there exists a demand for a very simple, automatic reversing attachment for gig elevators which will be absolutely dependable and which cannot cause premature starting of the gig before the ice cake is completely loaded. The present invention provides an attachment which meets this demand.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown an elevator well 10 in which a gig elevator is placed, the gig being indicated at 11 and carrying an ice cake 12 shown in discharge position.' Ice cakes from the can room are conveyed automatically to the anteroom or daily storage room, thence to the elevator well; and when loaded on the gig 11 are carried upwardly to a point above the uppermost layer of ice cakes and are discharged by gravity at that point, being set in regular tiers by the attendant. As soon as the cake has been discharged from the. gig, the latter descends to the loading level and stops automatically, and remains there until started by loading with another cake. As shown, the gig is suspended from a cable 13 which passes to the hoist drum 14 driven by motor 15. Operator control is permitted by means of a crank 16.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4,-the platform of the gig, as shown, consists of two angle irons 20 so disposed as to present two longitudinal vertical flanges on opposite sides of the gig for guiding the ice cake as it is moved onto the platform or base. The angle bars 20 are secured together from beneath by means of two transverse channel bars 21 and extending longitudinally of the platform are two or more T-bars 22 lying between the angle bars 20 and secured to the channels 21. Preferably, the two angle bars 20 are somewhat shorter than the length of the ice cakes to be handled, while the T-bars 22 are somewhat longer than the cakes. Near each end of the platform thus provided, and enclosed by and supported from the T-bars 22, are two contact members or switches arranged in series and located in the path of an ice cake as it is pushed onto the platform.

The purpose of these contact members or switches is to effect automatic starting of the gig when the cake is in proper position upon the platform and to prevent starting of the gig (after it has stopped at the upper limit of its travel), until the cake is completely off the gig. For this reason, the two contact members are preferably 35 arranged in the medial plane of the gig and in longitudinal alineinent with each other, so that the central part of the cake must pass over the contact members as it moves longitudinally on and off the gig platform. Both contact members are thus depressed as long as a cake is wholly on the platform, and both are arranged to rise, to reverse the motor-circuit, whenever there is no weight pressing on them from above.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the contact members each includes a contact plate 30, which is preferably a piece of noncorrodible metal with adequate strength to resist the wear and tear of continuous contact with heavy blocks of ice. Secured to the contact plate 30, are two rods 31 which extend downwardly to a spacer bar 32 which carries a switch member 33. Spacer bar 32 may be of insulating material or if of metal, is insulated from the rods 31. Springs 34 surround the rods 31 and bear against the underside of the contact plate 30 and also against the flange 85 secured to one or both of the T-bars 32. The result is that each contact plate 30 is pushed upwardly by the springs 34 and is normally held in a position so as to project a short distance above the plane of the platform, to be depresse by a cake of ice.

When the contact members are in this position, each switch 33 is in the posi ion shown in Fig. 3 and is in contact with t" 36 of a circuit, indicated diagram: Wally in Fig. 5. When the contact member so depressed, the corresponding switch 33 is moved downwardly until it makes contact with two ninals 3?. Adjustment of the position or" switch 33 with respect to the movable frame prov? by the parts 39, 31 and 32 is efiected by means or a set so I 38. The parts described are enclosed in a housing 39 secured to and depend'ng from the T-ba s 22.

Referring now to Fig. 5, in connection with Fig. 1, it will be clear that when an ice cake is shoved onto the platform, it will immediately en--- counter and depress one of the contact plates 3 and when all the way on the platform, ..ll also depress the second contact plate at the 0' When both pairs of terminals 3? are bridged the switches 33, the motor circuit will be com and the motor will-start, thus elevating the g The gig is stopped by r of a limit swit '1, which may be located 11 we", but which is preferably of the travc' g nut type, located near the motor. When the has bee: stopped, the ice cake is "scharged automatically because the is tilted r spect to the horizontal. See Fig. The incl ation of the gig platform also facilitates loading insures travel of the ice cake for the .11 length oi. the platform to depress both contact plates. As the cake is discharged from the platform, one or the contact plates relieved the weight of the cake and rises, due to its spring and then the second one rises. Who the ice cake is entirely off the platform, the switches 33 will make contact with both sets of terminals againclosing the motor circuit and causing the gig to descend.

Another adjustable limit switch stops downward travel at the proper point.

When ice is loaded at one end of the gig and discharged at the other end, as in the illustrative plant of Fig. 1, the gig is preferably fixed in "an inclined position as shown, and receives and discharges the ice by gravity. When the ice is loaded at one end and discharged from the same end, the gig is tilted from loading positionto discharge position, receiving the ice by gravity and also discharging it by gravity. In the latter case the gig bottom is double hinged, to permit tilting in either direction, the tilting being accomplished by a tilting bui'fer at the upper and lower ends of the well 10.

By simply reversing with a switch the control circuit connections for the magnetic contactors 40 (Fig. 5), it is possible the loading point to be above and for the discharge point to be below, thus permitting the same apparatus to be used when taking ice out of storage. In either arrangement, as long as ice cakes are fed to the gig, it will continue to run without any attention from the operator.

While, for simplicity of illustration, only a single gig elevator is shown, it is possible to employ the invention with a double gig elevator, the only difference being that with a double gig elevator, the loaded gig mu discharge and also the empty gig must be loaded before the two gigs may start. This is because with the double gig elevator, the gigs are counterbalanced and one must go down when the other goes up.

The gigs may also be made so as to handle one or two cakes at a time.

r end.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

What I claim is:-

1. A motor-operated gig elevator comprising, in combination, a gig; a switch mounted on the gig, and a switch-actuating member also on the gig in such a position that it is engaged by any article to be elevated or lowered by the gig; said switch controlling the motor circuit; a spring tending to move said swi to close a circuit to cause movement or" the gig in one direction, said switch remaining in the spring-pressed position except when moved by said switch-actuating member upon contact with an article on the gig, said switch then closing a circuit to cause movement of the gig in the opposite direction.

2. A gig elevator comprising, in combination, a load-conveying gig platform adapted to travel up and down; a motor for moving the platform in opposite directions; a motor circuit; a switch in said circuit mounted on the gig; a switch-operating mem? er mounted on the platform so as to be moved to "cult-closing position when a load is the gi.,, and a spring for moving the switchoperating member into another circuit-closing position, wherein reverse movement of the gig platform is eiiected, when the load is moved off the gig.

3. A motor-operated gig elevator having a pair of switch operating members mounted on the bottom the gig at each end and substantially in the medial plane or the gig so as to be depressed by the weight of the articles to be transported; and a circuit for control of the gig elevator motor, said circuit comprising two switches in seri s each constructed and arranged to be closed by one of said operating members, thus starting the gig when the article is completely on or completely oil the gig, one of said switches being open when the article is part way on or oil the gig.

4. A motor-operated gig elevator having a pair of switches in series and a pair of switch operating members, one mounted on the bottom of the gig at each end so as to be depressed by the weight of the articles to be transported; a. circuit for control of the gig elevator motor, said circuit comprising the aforesaid switches and being conand arranged to be closed by both of said operating members, thus starting the gig when the article is completely on or completely off the gig, being open when the article is part way on or off the gig; and a reversing switch for reversing the operation of the gig.

5. A motor-operated gig elevator having a pair of contact plates, one at each end; springs engaging said plates to cause them to project above the plane of the bottom of the gig, and permitting them to be depressed to said plane when an object is moved onto the gig; a pair of switches operated by depression of both contact plates to close the motor circuit, said switches being in series, so that if either contact plate is not depressed, the motor circuit will be broken.

6. A gig elevator comprising, in combination, a motor; a gig for ice cakes adapted to be raised and lowered by said motor; a motor-reversing switch in the motor circuit; a switch-operating member carried on the gig in such position that it must be moved, by direct contact of an ice cake when on the gig, so as to close said switch to complete a circuit to cause movement of the gig in one direction; means to move said switchoperating member to reverse the connections of opposite direction; said means being automatic and being permitted to function only when the ice cake has been discharged from the gig; and limit switches to stop the up and down travel of the gig.

'7. A motor-operated gig elevator comprising, in combination, a motor; a gig elevated and lowered by the motor; and a motor circuit comprising a switch and two contacts adapted to be closed by the switch when an article is on the gig, completing a control circuit to start the motor to move the gig in one direction, and two other contacts adapted to be closed by the same switch when an article is removed from the gig, completing a control circuit to reverse the direction of the motor to move the gig in the opposite direction; and limit switches to stop the gig.

8. A motor-operated gig elevator comprising, in combination, a motor; a gig; switch-operating members on the gig; and a motor circuit comprising a pair of switches each adapted automatically to close one of two sets of contacts and being then in series, and completing a control circuit to cause movement of the gig in one direction, said switches being movable independently by the operating members to independently close two other sets of contacts and being then in series and completing a control circuit to cause movement of the gig in the other direction; limit switches to stop movement of the gig, irrespective of the direction thereof; and a reversing switch to eiTect initial movement of the gig in either direction, so that it may be used either for loadlowering or load-elevating.

9. An automatic gig elevator comprising, in combination, an electric motor; a drum driven in opposite directions by said motor; a hoist rope wound on the drum; a gig supported by said hoist rope so as to be elevated and lowered; said gig actuated so as to normally close one of the circuits and being so located on the gig as to be engaged by an article thereon to close the other circuit; said switches being near opposite ends of the gig and in series so that both switches must be moved by the springs or by the article to close one circuit or the other to efiect travel of the gig in opposite directions.

10. An automatic gig elevator comprising, in combination, an electric motor; a drum driven in opposite directions by said motor; a hoist rope wound on the drum; a gig supported by said hoist rope so as to be elevated and lowered; said gig comprising an article carrier tilted so that gravity discharge of its load is facilitated; a pair of switches on the gig movable to close two circuits for effecting movement of the gig in opposite directions; said switches each being springactuated so as to normally close one of the circuits and being so located on the gig as to be engaged by an article thereon to close the other circuit; said switches being near opposite ends of the gig and in series so that both switches must be moved by the springs or by the article to close one circuit or the other to effect travel of the gig in opposite directions; limit switches in the motor circuits to stop the gig at its extreme limits of travel; and a reversing switch governing said circuits so that the gig may be caused either to ascend initially or descend initially, the return movement taking place automatically upon discharge of the load.

HAROLD E. HALLENBECK. 

